Around 50 cattle were shot dead in fields outside Clogher in a two‑day cull likened to a “Wild West scene”, sparking calls for far more humane and discreet procedures to prevent the public witnessing such distressing scenes again.
Councillor Eugene McConnell has called for steps to be taken to ensure that there is no repeat of a recent harrowing incident which he says happened in full view of members of the public.
While the Sinn Féin representative for Clogher Valley acknowledged that there must have been valid reasons for the farm animals to be culled, it is the very public manner in which it was carried out which he questioned.
Speaking at the July 23 monthly meeting of Mid Ulster District Council, Councillor McConnell said: “A very recent disturbing incident happened in my area outside Clogher, where a farmer unfortunately had 50 animals shot dead on his farm, and it was during the very hot weather.
“Environmental Services rightly said it wasn’t their responsibility and I needed to contact DAERA — so, eventually, to-ing and fro-ing in relation to trying to get somewhere — the senior vet in charge of the incident spoke to me and relayed the overview from their perspective, which I suppose I can’t in any way correct if that’s the process, that’s the procedures.
“Over the course of that two days, the shooting started at 10:00 in the morning and the last animal was shot at 9:50 that evening.
“It was like a Wild West scene — there were cars blocking the roads, there were people standing on ditches watching the marksmen shoot the animals dead in the field.
“And these were big, healthy, full-grown animals. At one stage there were four young calves that broke loose and made a run for freedom, and they were accompanied by the bull, and the bull got into a nearby forest. But the marksmen went after it and shot the four calves and the bull.
“My problem with all of this is that surely there must be a more humane, or better, type of situation than the disturbing scenes for the people living locally — and the phone calls that I was getting until I got on site.
“It was like a Wild West scene. It genuinely was something. And I know councillors get everything landed on their doorstep, but the amount of abuse and upset, with people witnessing that, seeing healthy animals shot dead in a field.
“I just feel, going forward, that as a Council there must be some responsibility, in conjunction or engagement with our counterparts or those in official capacity in DAERA.
“There has to be a better way to deal with this — round up the animals, collect the animals, take them off site, or do something. They were all shot and lying over three or four different fields.
“I would just like some sort of degree of clarity around the responsibility for getting rid of those animals, because initially I was told it was the farmer’s responsibility, and there’s no way he was going to be able to get rid of 50 animals, and eventually DAERA saw sense and they brought in a private contractor to get rid of them.”
Council Chair, Councillor Deirdre Varsani (SF, Dungannon DEA) told the Clogher Valley representative: “Thank you, Councillor McConnell, for illustrating what seems to have been a very distressing incident for the area. Our thoughts are with people in your area.”
